For Party Historians this is a lovely detailed matter of tracking party lore. Too few people realize how much demographic shifting has gone on between and indeed among parties over the years — and thus why guarding all versions of a party name is important.

Let’s begin with some terms. The DNC — Dem National Committee is made up primarily of elected representatives of state parties affiliated with the Democratic Party. In order to “get the franchise” — that is to be the Democratic Party in any state, you have to have a constitution, and bylaws, and much else including a name. Part of getting the franchise is agreement to “protect the brand name” — you actually have to copyright the name and all versions of it, and if it is abused, you have to defend your copyright. Now most State parties have rather average names. “Ohio Democratic Party” for instance — but I happen to belong to one of the oddballs in the mix, I am a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party of Minnesota. The DFL for short. Why — well that leads you into understanding about 100 years of demographic shifting of party alliances that should interest us as we work to “Crash the Gates.”

The Progressive Movement in the late 1800’s was in the Republican Party. Leadership was mostly in Teddy Roosevelt’s orbit, particularly after he became President on the assassination of McKinley. TR built a large Progressive Movement not just at the national level, but in the states and cities. It survived the fact that Taft was anything but a progressive, and it was useful when TR created the Bull Moose movement that led to Wilson’s victory in 1912. Some, but not all progressives moved to the Democrats and Wilson.

After TR’s death, and the demise of Wilson as a power center in the Democratic Party, the Business Republicans — the McKinleyites came back with Harding-Coolidge-Hoover. But the Progressive Republicans split off. State by state they did different things. In Wisconsin they founded the Progressive Party and elected LaFollette and kept old Bob and young Bob in office into the 1940’s. In Nebraska, they elected George Norris in 1914, and kept him in office till 1944. Norris was a TR Republican. In North Dakota, they created the non-Partisian League, and took over the banks — state owned banks were all that was legal well into the 1950’s. In Minnesota, the Progressive Republicans and the labor oriented Democrats created the Farmer-Labor Party — and for most of the 30’s and 40’s they owned both senate seats. One of the most important Republican Progressives was Harold Ickes of Chicago who tried to create a Wisconsin-like party in Illinois (along with Jane Addams and Clarence Darrow.) Ickes would become a Democrat in 1932, serve as secretary of Interior in FDR’s administration till 1946, and his son, Harold Jr., is one of Hillary’s close advisors who also worked in the 90’s for Bill.

Now that’s just the beginning. The process of shifting African American voters (till the late 60’s in the North) from the Party of Lincoln to the Democratic fold really began with the Progressives in the 1920’s. Among other things Ickes was doing in Chicago was to find ways to elect Blacks to City offices as Progressives — or Progressive Republicans, but when he finally left the Republicans, he was able to move much of the urban black vote with him. In the years of the New Deal, Ickes offices were something like employment central for the small number of black professionals who made it into Civil Service professional positions. Around DC there were a number of “Progressive Clubs” — organizations of Black Professional Civil Servants. Understanding these is key to understanding the rejection of the Party of Lincoln for the other one.

Now — rather than re-tell it, just let me refer you to Robert Caro’s narrative of the 1948 election in “Master of the Senate” third Volume in his LBJ bio. The full incorporation of Liberal Progressive politics into the Democratic Party core happened in Philadelphia in 1948 at the Convention when the ADA collected the petitions to force a vote on the Civil Rights Plank of the party platform, which led to Hubert Humphrey’s delivering what has become known as the “Sunshine Speech” — the one that caused Strom Thurmond and his like to form the Dixiecrats, and walk out of the party. Labor supported the ADA and the plank won. Truman was none too happy with the ADA and Hubert — but without question it was why he won the election in 1948. In 1948 it was the African American vote in Northern Industrial States that was the margin throwing them into the Dem Column, rather than the Republican as Gallup had predicted. (Gallup was working from 1940 census demographics which did not reflect the great migration out of sharecropping into the industrial sector in the north — where there were among other things Unions which would register members to vote.)

Through all this the notion of screwing up elections by creating false party identies has been a constant problem — and the problem was resolved long ago (at least before 1948) when the Democratic National Committee required state parties to copyright all versions of their name, and defend the copyright against all abuse. In 1948 the DFL (created by a merger in 1944 between the Democratic Party of Minnesota and the Farmer Labor Party) had to deal with Henry Wallace who tried to run in Minnesota as a “Progressive Farmer-Laborite.” They really didn’t want to go into court — but they had to do so. In Minnesota you cannot use any version of Farmer-Labor in a party title, because another party owns all versions of that title. All state parties have exactly the same obligation.

Remember — we really don’t elect any national leaders. State by state we elect electors to vote for President, and all the rest of the ticket is the work of state parties. And this is why for many years state parties have been required to copyright and defend their franchise.

The DLC and what Joe represents in the Senate (I mean his whole set of supporters and financers) is a small power center in the Democratic Party that probably is apt for some sort of party shift at some point. They are the parallel construction of the neo-cons in the Republican system — folk who probably could not get elected to much if they ran on their real program. They really don’t represent major voter interests. But in the short term messing with the rhetoric of party identity does confuse voters, and it needs to be taken very seriously.

Alright, so it’s late…even later since I said I’d attempt this yesterday…even though this is in no way “abbreviated”…

Essentially, I got heckled for saying that I’d told a DSCC campaign caller that I won’t give to them because of Liberman. I trust the folks here to give me an honest answer to the question:

If I were to give to the DSCC, could part of that campaign contribution go to support Liberman in his primary against Lamont?

It would be stupid to fund Lamont and then have other dollars working against him. The reason I say that is I’ve already donated to Lamont–through Firedoglake.

Because of this confusion, I won’t give to the party–as I did in 2004 and once briefly to the “Give Em Hell Harry” campaign after Harry forced the Repugs to deal with a closed session (over Robert’s stalling on WMD hearings).

I don’t mind giving (especially through FDL), but can only do it when I pull Overtime. That’s hard earned money that I don’t want wasted. Needless to say, I pulled alot of overtime over this Holiday weekend and am also scheduled to earn holiday pay, tomorrow. Looks like Tester and Lamont money to me!

Chuck Shumer is a nitwit. He is also fast becoming a political Luddite.

There is nothing more central to re-gaining the soul of righteous progressive voters in American than to DEFEAT Joe Liberman in the primary. Joe Lieberman does not represent the values of the Democratic party. We have a GREAT candidate in Ned Lamont who is so much more in tune with our values that it is not even worth debating. It’s black and white. Despite what Lieberman says there is not a more stark contrast with a Sean Hannity loving Joe Lieberamn versus a true progessive candidate like Ned Lamont.

Oh how I wish I could vote in the CT primary.

God bless Ned Lamont.

God bless American.